We're Not So Different

folks, we are back for part 2 of this woefully short series on Medieval military evolution in the Old World and it's time to talk about gunpowder. probably the single most important invention ever but it didn't follow the normal formula for these things, instead sitting on the shelf as a elixir for eternal life before being adopted for military application by increasingly desperate Chinese states. however, it would be the Mongols who spread the message of gunpowder across all of the Old World and it would change the face of Medieval society along with it.

cover image is from a 1398 series by Jean Froissart, this one showing cannons being used during the Battle of Nicopolis

folks, we don't talk about military history all that much on the show except as an aspect of the overall narratives and histories we tell. however, we do sometimes have to talk about it specifically because it is both interesting and necessary to understanding things. it's not the end-all, be-all, most important thing ever as it is sometimes portrayed but, ya know, you can't fully enforce your politics from the throne, now can you? that monopoly of violence is there for a reason. anyway, we start a two-part series talking about the evolutions of Medieval armies in Afroeurasia. this time, we talk about why the size of European armies dropped so drastically following the fall of Western Rome (while Eastern Rome and Asia did not), how was military training accomplished on a macro level, why the Crusades acted as a kickstarter to future European military endeavors, and more! next time: gunpowder! enjoy.

cover image is part of an illuminated manuscript by Jean Froissart about the Battle of Crecy

folks, we have referenced it a couple of times but now it's finally time to focus on the Mesopotamian Afterlife, including their underworld and ghosts. we talk about how they formed their conception of the afterlife, what it looked like, the bizarre and unfair punishments received depending on how you die, leaving milk and cookies out for Gilgamesh, the quite beautiful and tender reception that babies receive, the social reinforcement these rules provided, using the Epic of Gilgamesh as a template, and more. Oh, and just one rule: no fires. No but for real, no fucking fires, don't you dare light a single fire ever, I don't care if it's what allows to stay up later at night and cook our food, no goddamn fire, ever! not even once!

cover image is something I found on a site called pngtree that said it was free to use

folks, just as the ancient prophecies foretold, we're back for a second September mailbag episode. we dive back into the patrons questions again to talk about the 90's comedy Sister Act, treatments for very small injuries, the survival of the Hungarian language, pipe smoking in the Old World, Medieval home decor, what constitutes a colony, and more!

cover image is a promotional image for the 1992 film Sister Act, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith

folks, we are back with another mailbag episode for your enjoyment! we take patron questions about source survival, Tolkien as a medievalist, mercenaries, old primary sources, world peace, and more!

cover image is a bottle of Costco's Kirkland's Signature branded Chateauneuf du Pape, 2023 vintage I found online